Whitley Ag Day Features Farm Animals, Big Tractors
Published: Friday, April 3, 2026
Around 400 Whitley County first graders attended the annual Ag Day at the 4-H Center on March 5 which is hosted by the Whitley County Soil and Water Conservation District, Whitley County Farm Bureau Inc., and the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. This event is made possible by the efforts of the Columbia City High School FFA Chapter.
First graders got to see a wide variety of farm animals and learned what products come from what animals that we use in our daily lives. There were eight different stops that were set up under the 4-H Center's roof for the first-grade students from Mary Raber, Northern Heights, Coesse, Little Tuttle, South Whitley and Churubusco to see. The students got a chance to visit each stop, to ask questions and an opportunity to pet the animals.
"This is something that we really enjoy doing for the first graders" said Nadean Lamle, office manager for the Whitley SWCD. "Many of these children have never had the opportunity to be close to a farm animal. We try to remind the students, chaperons and teachers that if it wasn't for the farmer, their parents wouldn't be able to buy many of the products that we take for granted in our everyday lives. A farmer somewhere had to raise the foods that we eat every day."
The Columbia City FFA Chapter supplied speakers for seven of the eight stops and all the animals. Plus, the FFA Chapter supplied the tour guides to help the teachers with the students and to guide them from stop to stop.
Karaline Schuman handled the pig stop. Schuman explained the notches that are cut into the baby pig's ears is for identification of the baby pig in relationship with its litter. She explained that when the pigs are finished out or grown, they will be used for food products such as ham, bacon, sausage and pork chops.
Anna Lortie supplied the chickens, and she explained that some of the chickens were bred to be layers so we will have eggs, and others were bred for their meat for us to eat. She explained the two differences between the two different breeds of chickens that were at Ag Day.
Jessa Hoskins and Daylin McCoy handled the rabbit stop. They explained that rabbits make excellent pets. When they are content and relaxed, they can purr like a cat. Their average life span is between 8-10 years. They are plant eaters or herbivores. Rabbits can clean or groom themselves.
Ashley and Steven Lent brought two of their sheep to share with the first graders. Carter Bills explained to the first graders that people use wool from sheep for clothing, blankets, slippers and other items. People also eat meat from sheep.
Logan Francis brought the goats and explained that there are several different kinds of goats such as milk goats or meat goats. Raising goats has become a popular thing since there is a large demand for goat milk for drinking and for cheese. And more people are eating goat meat than ever before because it is very lean.
Landin Parrish provided a beef steer who is about 1000 pounds at the time of AG Day. Landin has been taking this steer to different cattle shows and will probably bring him to the 4-H fair this summer. His beef steer is the type that will be used for food such as steaks and hamburgers.
Megan Rawles representing Indiana Farm Bureau Inc -Advocating for Agriculture. She explained that farmers raise crops that make many of the products that we eat every day. Plus, all the jobs farming provides for workers such building tractors, combines, planters, mowers, tires for all the equipment and carpenters to build the barns, grain storage and feeders.
More's Farm Store furnished two tractors for the event. Isaiah Ballard and Zach Gottschalk took turns handling the tractor stop. They explained several different jobs that people use tractors to perform. They pointed out some of the things people need to do to be safe on and around tractors. This is one of the first graders' favorite stops, and they like the opportunity to sit on a tractor.
Evan Schrader, Kolt Kyler, Trevor Hull, Mad die Millet, Johnny Weaver, Carly Linnemeier,Brooke Landers, and Tyler Hoskins were guides to assist the teachers and first graders from stop to stop during the day.
At the end of the day each first grader was given a story book called "Lily's Farm Adventures" and soy crayons that they received when they got back to their school. These items were provided by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council.
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